The Outcome of Conservative Treatment of Carcinoma in Situ of the Bladder

Abstract

We treated 52 patients with carcinoma in situ by transurethral resection, thiotepa and other intravesical chemotherapeutic agents. All patients underwent standard initial and subsequent evaluative procedures and the average followup was 62 months. Half of the patients had a history of stage Ta and/or T1 transitional cell carcinoma. The remainder had carcinoma in situ when first diagnosed (10 had carcinoma in situ only). Of 12 patients treated by transurethral resection alone 1 reached 60 months without radical cystectomy or disease progression. There were 18 patients who had a complete response following chemotherapy, 11 had a partial response (positive cytology) and 11 failed (persistent carcinoma in situ). Patients with a history of transitional cell carcinoma had a statistically significantly greater probability of achieving a complete response. Despite other types of treatments only 2 of 22 patients (partial response and failure) achieved a lasting complete response. Persistent partial response and failure resulted in progressive transitional cell carcinoma (stage T2 or greater, prostatic involvement and metastases) and only 1 of these survived for more than 5 years without cystectomy. None of our patients received bacillus Calmette-Guerin because it was not available during the time most of the patients were treated. While the lives and bladders in some patients may be spared by its use, failure to achieve a complete response indicates impending disaster and cystectomy should be considered seriously.